Where Will IYR Krishna Rao Go Now?

Former Chief Secretary and senior bureaucrat IYR Krishna Rao is now out of AP Government. His exit leaves a controversy over the style of functioning of the government headed by Naidu. But there is another fact that made the retired IAS officer to distance from the ruling party.

Vijayawada: Retired IAS officer IYR Krishna Rao’s exit is not just the issue of his postings in social media or his long wait for six months to get the Chief Minister’s interview. It is his ambition to enter politics. He had set his eyes on a safe Assembly Constituency for his political entry in 2019. But, he did not get any positive sign from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on giving him the Assembly ticket. It is for this reason, he is now out of the government and the days are not so far when he joins the Opposition YSR Congress.

In spite of the fact that IYR has made it very clear in his media conference at Hyderabad press club on Tuesday that he has no political ambition and he does not have the wherewithal to contest in direct elections and win, speculations on his political strategy refuse to go away. See Also: IYR Krishna Rao Ventilates His Agony

Krishna Rao is learned to have set his eyes on the Vijayawada Central Assembly Constituency where his Brahmin community has considerable voting strength. Being in the capital zone, the constituency is very important for any party to win. He is now understood to be dreaming of his political entry form here, where prominent Brahmins have won in the past.

Starting with Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao in 1962, when the constituency was carved out from the Vijayawada combined constituency, it was held later by T V S Chalapathi Rao from 1967 to 1972 and Dammalapati Rama Rao from 1972 to 1978. With a small break, the constituency again went in favour of Brahmins and was held by film actor Kota Srinivasa Rao of BJP from 1999 to 2004 and then Malladi Vishnu from 2009 to 2014. See Also:Naidu’s Action: Fast On IYR, No To JC

Having served the Indian Administrative Service till retirement, Krishna Rao had set his eyes on working for his community had taken up the AP Brahmin Welfare Corporation in Andhra Pradesh government after bifurcation. In fact, the Chief Minister had created this corporation only on Krishna Rao’s advice and made him the chairman. Now, with ambitious plans to enter politics, like many other bureaucrats, Krishna Rao started looking at the Vijayawada Central Assembly Constituency for the 2019 elections. It is this political plan that had made him differ with Naidu on some issues leading to his exit. See Also:After Ravi Kiran, Its IYR’s Turn To Face Naidu’s Wrath

It is now for Krishna Rao and the YSR Congress to come closure and make their dreams come true. While YSR Congress, in all likelihood, is set to gain Brahmin vote bank from Krishna Rao’s entry, the later is looking at the advantages of realising his dream with the YSR Congress. Krishna Rao is a better face for the YSR Congress to win the Brahmin vote in the next elections. The party which has been trying to rope in former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar for the past three years, is now in a comfortable position with Krishna Rao’s episode.